Olympic24: Watson claims career best win in Indian Wells

There was a stunning victory for Heather Wells in Indian Wells, another world silver for Elise Christie and Eve Muirhead bounces back in Sapparo. Here's our review of the last 24 hours.

British number one Heather Watson claimed the biggest win of her career beating Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

The 6-4, 6-4 win against the world number eight was Watson's first victory in 12 attempts against a world top ten player.

"I knew I was going to have to play my best and that's what I did," she said.

"For three years, I didn't win a match here and then last year I won a couple and here I've won a few more, so hopefully I can keep it going."

Watson will now face Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro in round four.

Elise Christie made history by becoming the first British short track speed skater to win two medals at the same World Championship.

The 24-year old Scot added to her podium finish in the 500m by claiming second in the 1000m, finishing just 0.052 seconds behind South Korea’s Choi Minjeong.

GB Short Track performance director Stuart Horsepool admitted his pride in Christie, whose participation was in doubt after her grandmother died earlier this month.

“Under the circumstances, I’m really pleased with silver, but I believe I could have got more out of it if my head was in a different place,” said Christie.

Jack Whelbourne picked up a penalty in the semi-finals of the 1500m and failed to progress while he finished 16th overall in the 500m, with former Olympic finalist Jon Eley ranking 11th.

Keri-Anne Payne, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, claimed third in 10km open water swimming FINA World Cup in Abu Dhabi.

Jack Burnell ranked second in the men's race, finishing just a second behind French winner Axel Raymond, while team-mate Dan Fogg just missed the podium in fourth.

Double European champion Jazz Carlin finished well ahead of rivals Hannah Miley and Ellie Faulkner to win a hotly-contested 400m freestyle at the Edinburgh International Swim Meet.

Elsewhere, Stephen Milne - who last year broke 1996 Olympic bronze medallist Graeme Smith's long standing 1500m freestyle Scottish record at the meeting - won again.

And there were also stand out wins for Siobhan Marie O'Connor in the 200m medley and Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke.

Out of the pool, double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington has confirmed she is expecting a baby girl.

"We've already bought her first swimsuit," she admitted.

Perhaps an Olympic champion in 2036?

Tonia Couch finished fourth in the women's platform final at the first diving World Series event of the season in Beijing but former world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley failed to make the men's platform final.

Olympic bronze medallist Eve Muirhead bounced back from her final stone defeat to hosts Japan at curling's World Championships in Sapparo.

Muirhead's rink recorded their second win from four games with a solid 9-2 victory over the USA.

"That was more like us out there," she said.

"It was a tough one to lose against Japan and we knew we had to come out winning, so hopefully we’ve got a bit of momentum going forward now.”

England's women's rugby sevens team finished seventh in the the latest round of the World Series in Atlanta.

Simon Middleton’s side beat Brazil 31-10 to secure the position having been well beaten, 24-0, by Russia in the quarter-finals and 24-12 by Australia in the plate semi-finals.

They had impressed in the group stages scoring 83 points and conceding just 17 against China, Brazil and Canada.

With qualification for the Olympic Games on offer for the top four teams at the end of the series, England are currently sixth with three rounds to come.

Geraint Thomas finished fifth in cycling's famous Paris-Nice race, as Team Sky team-mate Ritchie Porte won his second title in three years.

Thomas ranked seventh overall in the concluding 9.5km time trial up the Col d'Eze while 2012 winner Sir Bradley Wiggins didn’t start the final stage.

Steph Twell was delighted with her second place at the Antrim International Cross Country.

Ethiopia's Birtukan Fente Alemu took the tape by a clear margin but Twell - who won the title in 2009 - was happy with her 24:28 minute time for the 7.2km course.

© Sportsbeat 2015